It’s always a pleasure to head up to Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms and doubly so when it’s to see the perennially cheery bluesman JJ Nichols, whose AC/DC-meets-Stevie-Ray-Vaughan demeanour always makes for an electrifying show.
However, before JJ can take to the stage, we have a short, sharp opening set from Dan Byrne. Hailing from England’s Northwest, this charismatic rocker has been making waves ever since the release of debut EP, Beginnings. Unfortunately, he’s struggling with the ‘flu tonight and, while he puts on one hell of a performance, you can hear the strain in his voice, particularly when he shoots for the high notes. Nevertheless, even an ill Dan Byrne is still a better singer than most, and he maintains a remarkable energy throughout the set.
Highlights come thick and fast. The opening pairing of Hard To breathe (an energetic beast of a track) and Like Animals (gnarly mid-tempo groove) finds Dan and his band rocking out convincingly and, if Easier has something of a Kings of Leon feel vibe to it, it’s soon eclipsed by the soulful pulse of Sentimental.
Better still, Pulling Me Under has a strong Glenn Hughes vibe to it, showcasing Dan’s vocal strengths even while he’s suffering from the plague. Similarly Saviour (the ebullient opener to Dan’s LP, This Is Where The Show Begins) crackles with energy, as if the band wish to banish ill health through sheer determination alone.
All in all, Dan and his band put on an impressive performance, eliciting cheers from the faithful and earning a fair few new friends in the process.
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It may not be quite as full as we may have liked, but Jared James Nichols plays each show as if it’s his last, and tonight is no exception. He bounds on to the stage to the full-force riff of Easy Come Easy Go, only briefly breaking off post-solo to taste the applause before launching back into the pre-chorus.
It’s not all plain sailing. The sound is a little boomy, particularly around the midrange, which sometimes obscures the vocals. The audience, meanwhile, are initially quiet to the point that Jared takes a moment to ask if we’re OK during the slinky blues of Threw Me To The Wolves – a track that morphs into Miss You (Rolling Stones) before flying off on an instrumental flight of fancy that encourages the crowd to find its voice at last.
From there, Jared’s away. New single Ghost has one hell of a groove to it, Way Back is a cracking blues rocker, while the 50’s infused Can You Feel It gets the audience singing along with gusto.
Singing along, it seems, is not enough for Jared. Having blazed his way through the hotwired riffing of Good Time Girl, he hands his guitar to an audience member who, to his immense credit, shreds with aplomb while Jared stands over him, beaming with delight. It’s one of those rare rock ‘n’ roll moments that will live long in the memory of all present and it says a great deal about the rapport Jared has with his audience that he can simply hand his guitar over and not see it immediately disappear out the back door of the venue!
The main set wraps up with an epic Nails In The Coffin, which has a chain-gang swing and a gargantuan chorus, before Jared returns to the stage to deliver his signature cover of War Pigs. A raw, unfiltered take on the Sabbath classic, it’s a blazing performance that neatly bridges the worlds of blues and metal, leaving many in the audience agape.
At a time when so many artists are relying on technology to file away the rough edges of their sound, we need artists like Jared James Nichols more than ever. A gifted guitarist, what sets him apart is the heart and soul he pours into each and every note he rings from his instrument, and he forms one hell of a connection with his audience as a consequence. From the manic glint in his eye to the wide grin he sports throughout the night, it’s clear that Jared lives to be on stage and, for as long as he continues, we’ll be right there at the front cheering him on.
